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STILL, BABY, STILL? Some Southern leaders rethink offshore drilling in wake of disaster, but most stay the course

With oil still gushing from the site of BP's failed Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf -- a disaster that's now likely to eclipse the scale of the Exxon Valdez -- some politicians are rethinking the "drill, baby, drill" push for expanded offshore drilling.

But for others -- including many leading Republicans and a few Democrats -- the message seems to be: "Still, baby, still!"

Facing South took a tally of where key politicians stand in the wake of the Gulf oil disaster:

GULF COAST

The political fallout from the spill has been most interesting in the states nearest to the disaster:

* In Alabama, GOP Gov. Bob Riley is reconsidering his once-staunch support for drilling. In 2008, he said "we need to drill" and found it "astonishing" Congress wouldn't lift a drilling moratorium. But when asked about his views on Wednesday, Riley said he will have "a completely different attitude" if the state's efforts to protect their shoreline failed.

* Gov. Haley Barbour in Mississippi doesn't appear to think there's anything to be learned at all: In an interview with CNN, he downplayed any potential fallout from the spill, saying it's "not particularly damaging." He's still pro-drill.

* In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has focused his statements on the immediate disaster response, as has Rep. Joseph Cao (R). But Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) immediately made a statement from the floor: "It is more risky to import our oil in tankers than it is to drill for it offshore, even considering this disaster that we're dealing with today. Retreat is not an option. ... We must continue to drill." Sen. David Vitter (R) also encouraged Obama to press forward with new drilling projects.

What about the battleground Sunshine state and its $65 billion-a-year tourism industry?

* The spill is already making the Florida U.S. Senate race more interesting: Gov. Charlie Crist, after waffling on drilling -- and deciding to run as an independent -- is now urging caution: "If this doesn't make the case that we have got to go to clean energy, ... I don't know what does." GOP senate candidate Marco Rubio said he won't change his (pro-drill) mind.

* Democratic candidate Rep. Kendrick Meek has seized the moment to carve out a clear anti-drilling position: "It's time to put an end to any and every misguided attempt to drill offshore and put Florida's coasts and economy at risk."

* Another FL Republican has also come on board for a temporary drilling moratorium: U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller: "Right now, there should be no new drilling, period ... until we find out what occurred. We can't risk another disaster."

EAST COAST

Plans to expand offshore drilling include the Atlantic seaboard -- prompting a variety of responses from coastal states:

* In North Carolina, Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) -- who's held a study-and-see approach to drilling -- merely said the disaster "emphasizes the importance of making sure that any drilling off our coast would be safe." Sen. Kay Hagan (D) was similarly non-committal, saying "we need to understand what went wrong and we need a comprehensive plan."

* NC's Sen. Richard Burr (R), a member of the Senate Energy Committee -- who falsely claimed that "there wasn't a drop of oil" spilled in the Gulf during Hurricane Katrina (there were at least 124 spills) -- has been silent since the spill. But just weeks before the disaster, Sen. Burr went on CNBC to criticize Obama for not moving fast enough on offshore drilling.

* Others in South Carolina appear unfazed: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) said halting offshore drilling after the Gulf disaster would be like halting space exploration after the space shuttle Challenger explosion.

Know other politicians who are changing their tune -- or digging in on their earlier position -- in the wake of the Gulf oil crisis? Let us Armageddon. I did this for the Coast Guard many years ago. Yeah, it's bad. And it's terrible that there's a spill out there. But I would remind people that the oil is twenty miles from any marsh. ... That chocolate milk looking spill starts breaking up in smaller pieces ... It is tending to break up naturally.

the largest offshore oil drilling contractor in the world. Transocean has its roots in Birmingham, Ala., where it spun off from Sonat, Inc. in 1993. Today -- after a dizzying series of mergers and acquisitions-- Transocean is incorporated in Switzerland, has locations in 20 countries, and boasts an unparalleled fleet of 136 offshore rigs.